The mountains in western Pennsylvania are not coveted as the Western and Northeastern U.S. for snow fun. It is the best place to ski and board in a reasonable drive for several metropolitan areas including Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., Baltimore and Columbus. Seven Springs Mountain Resort is the reason.

Seven Springs boasts a snowmaking system that produces one foot of snow on 54 of the resorts 285 skiable acres in about 13 hours. The resort’s snowmaking prowess is no surprise. Its founder owns HKD Snowmakers, a leader in development, manufacturing and installation of snowmaking equipment since 1991.

The man-made granular fluff was the testing terrain for the Komperdell Carbon Bamboo ski poles. The poles look like old-time wood poles. A carbon shaft lies under the bamboo finish. Komperdell designed the poles with tungsten and carbide tips, leather straps with faux-fur-lining and leather bound EVA handgrips.

The carbon shafts make a considerably light swing weight compared to inexpensive aluminum poles. A pair weighs eleven ounces, slightly lower than similar ones from competitors.

A ski pole that can punch through an icy top coat is crucial for maneuverability and braking when traversing unsavory slope conditions. The tip on the Carbon Bamboo pole passed this test and pierced packed powder or crusty top layer without problem.

The leather wrapped EVA handgrips feel natural in your hand and are textured to keep your gloved hands in place. The wrist straps have a basic design and are the only negative part of the Carbon Bamboo poles.

The wrist straps are adjustable but have a short length. It doesn’t allow you to rest the strap between your palm and the handgrip. It is not a major deficiency as the tungsten and carbide tips won’t get stuck from a pole plant even in the hardest packed base.

images/KomperdellThe Komperdell Carbon Bamboo ski poles have the look of a wooden pole with the feather light advantage of carbon. The wrist straps are a negative but not one to preclude you from considering the poles for your downhill hi-jinks. (MSRP $169.95)

Jason Elliot is the Editor and Publisher of OutdoorInformer.com. Elliot has established a respected following with the top industry professionals and gearheads for his nonbiased reviews of outdoor gear and apparel. Elliot is a regular contributor to Examiner.com, Trails.com and other publications on top of his editorial and writing role with OutdoorInformer.com.

Elliot left a successful fifteen-plus year management career that he worked at Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies to pursue his passion for writing about the outdoors. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree from La Roche College.